Some foods, drinks, sports and outdoor equipment, and animal and plant products can carry harmful pests and diseases. If you’re unsure, declare your items when you arrive or put them in the bin, otherwise you can get a fine.
Biosecurity New Zealand has enhanced screening in place for travellers arriving in New Zealand from countries with foot and mouth disease.
To make sure your arrival in New Zealand goes smoothly:
Declared risk goods may be inspected to ensure it's safe for them to be brought into New Zealand.
Remember, if you fail to declare risk goods, you could face a $400 instant fine or be prosecuted.
Risk goods may be on your person (in your clothing or a small bag) or in your luggage. You must declare risk goods by completing a New Zealand Traveller Declaration. It's free to complete a digital declaration on the official New Zealand Traveller Declaration website or the NZTD app. A paper declaration form is available on arrival for travellers who cannot complete it online. All travellers into New Zealand must complete a declaration even if you don’t have anything to declare.
If you make a false or incorrect declaration – even by accident – you are breaking the law and you can be fined or put in prison.
New Zealand Traveller Declaration (NZTD) website
Official declarations – Customs Service
Information for travellers in languages other than English
It's not possible for us to list all the goods considered a risk. This is because an item's risk isn't always the same. It depends on things like the country it comes from, its ingredients, or packaging.
As part of the declaration process, an officer is likely to ask you questions to clearly establish what you are carrying. The answers you give in this interview are part of your declaration. If you give incomplete answers about your risk goods, you can still be fined or prosecuted if any are found during an inspection.
We've got a tool to help you quickly get an answer about whether your food or other item may be allowed into New Zealand. We don't have everything listed in the tool but it covers the food and other items we most frequently get asked about. The tool will also tell you whether there are any weight or quantity restrictions.
Go to the tool – Check if you can bring or send an item to NZ
Watch our in-flight biosecurity video. It reminds all international visitors about the importance of protecting Aotearoa New Zealand from unwanted pests and diseases.
Transcript – show/hide
Welcome to Aotearoa.
Our country.
Our lakes, rivers, lands and seas.
Our home.
This fragile place is all we’ve got.
It’s vulnerable to pests and diseases.
That’s why we guard it, as if our way of life depends on it… Because it does. But we need your help.
Fruits, vegetables and eggs like these can’t be brought into New Zealand.
Nor can most meats, honey, cooking ingredients, herbs, and seeds or spices…
Anything made of plants or wood can carry unwanted pests or diseases that could destroy our natural environment.
Put any items you aren’t sure about in the airport amnesty bins.
Used outdoor equipment is a problem too.
If in doubt, declare it for inspection on the New Zealand Traveller Declaration website or app, or on a paper arrival card.
Or ask a biosecurity officer like me.
Because once you arrive, your bags may be x-rayed and inspected.
And if you haven’t declared, you’ll be fined $400.
As a visitor here, I’ll be asking one thing of you:
Look after it. Protect it.
Declare or dispose risk items.
Avoid a $400 fine.
[end transcript]
Here are some examples of the kinds of items considered a potential risk to New Zealand:
Note that:
Some of the risk items you declare may be allowed into the country:
However, some items may not be allowed into the country under any circumstances and may be confiscated or destroyed.
Items that require treatment are sent to private independent treatment companies. You can collect items sent for treatment at a later date.
Declare even the smallest amounts and ingredients for cooking.
All food items brought into New Zealand, even the smallest amounts and ingredients for cooking, need to be declared. Food items include:
If you're importing large quantities of food items for commercial use, you'll need to follow the rules and regulations for importing those products.
All animal products brought into New Zealand need to be inspected and may need treatment or permits. Some items will not be allowed into New Zealand.
Animal products include:
Novelty items, souvenirs, and ornaments should be declared if they have any parts made from:
Find out more about importing animal products
These products must be declared. They can contain animal dung and plant materials that may carry pests and diseases. If you are carrying any of these types of items, make sure you declare them or you can be fined.
Find out more about importing these types of products
Declare all plant material. Some types of products are prohibited.
All plant material must be declared. Items may need treatment or an import permit, and some products are prohibited. Examples of plants and plant products that must be declared include:
If you bring wood products, fruit, vegetables, other plant products, micro-organisms or laboratory specimens into New Zealand, you must comply with the requirements for importing those items.
For more information refer to the steps to importing:
Anything used outdoors – on farms, for hiking, camping, fishing, gardening and the like.
Used equipment, like sporting and recreational equipment, must be declared on your traveller declaration.
This type of equipment can transfer soil and plant material from other countries into New Zealand that may carry pests, diseases, and seeds – all of which can pose a threat to our environment and wildlife. Some contaminants such as viruses, bacteria and fungi are not visible and may be present on used equipment that appears clean to the naked eye.
Equipment might be inspected on arrival so it should be easy to reach in your luggage.
If you are unsure about whether or not your equipment needs inspecting – declare it.
Used equipment includes:
If you're bringing used freshwater fishing equipment into New Zealand, it must be clean and dry.
If MPI officers suspect your equipment isn't completely dry (even if you cleaned it before coming), you'll have to either:
Download the IHS for used equipment associated with animals or water [PDF, 416 KB]
Refer to 'Check, Clean, Dry' information for instructions on cleaning sporting and camping equipment before coming to New Zealand.
Once in New Zealand – you can continue to protect our environment and wildlife by:
There are other items imported into New Zealand that could introduce pests, diseases, or unwanted organisms. These items must comply with a relevant import health standard.
Non-biological items include:
For more information read about:
When you enter New Zealand, you'll need to declare all salt and freshwater products and equipment. This includes:
Live animals can be carriers of pests and diseases and you'll need the correct documentation when bringing them into New Zealand. Find out about:
Be aware of products covered by the CITES agreement.
Many endangered species are needlessly destroyed to make souvenirs for travellers. By supporting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement and deciding not to buy goods made from endangered species, you can help save these rare plants and animals from extinction.
New Zealand is party to the CITES agreement. It covers items like:
Any plant, animal, or product covered by the CITES agreement is not allowed into New Zealand, unless it is accompanied by a CITES permit(s). If you try to bring in items under the CITES agreement without appropriate permits, they'll be seized.
Find out more about endangered species and permitting requirements by visiting the:
MPI quarantine officers will make a risk assessment of your declared items by asking you more questions or through a visual inspection. Sometimes they will need to refer to legal documents called import health standards. In general, if there is not an import health standard (IHS) for your item, it can't be brought into the country. (Import health standards are not generally for specific items but are more generic. For example, there is not an import health standard for milk but milk is covered in the IHS Specified foods for human consumption containing animal products as a "dairy product").
For items that are covered by an IHS, the standard gives information including:
Note that import health standards can change without notice. For example, if there was a disease outbreak overseas.
Find out more about import health standards
People failing to declare biosecurity risk goods – even by accident – may be instantly fined an NZD$400 infringement fee. Anyone caught smuggling a prohibited or risk item could:
Make sure you declare or dispose any risk goods. If in doubt, ask a quarantine officer when you arrive at the airport.
Why you're fined for failing to declare
If you have questions about what to declare, email info@mpi.govt.nz
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